Obama Voting Rights Act Letter

Barack Obama Urges Congress To Restore Voting Rights Act

Source: YURI GRIPAS / Getty

The New York Times got a very special letter to the editor today following its recent, popular report entitled, “A Dream Undone: The 50-Year Campaign To Roll Back The Voting Rights Act.” The article by Jim Rutenburg chronicled the history and gains made by the Voting Rights Act.

The story also documented the strikes that have been made against the legislation in recent years which have resultantly impeded minorities from exercising their right to the franchise. In the letter, Obama urged Congress to restore the Voting Rights Act and to make it easier for voters to “have their voices heard.” Read more at the New York Times.

Up Next: Number Of Uninsured Americans Takes A Dip

Uninsured Americans Dramatically Drops By Almost 16 Million

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Today, it was revealed that there are seven million less Americans that are uninsured since last year. The total number of uninsured Americans has dropped by over 30 percent since 2013. For residents aged 18 to 64 in particular, the uninsured population dropped to 13 percent between January and March of this year—down by over 3 percent when compared to the 16.3 percent uninsured rate for those 18 to 64 from 2014. Read more at USA Today.

Up Next: Hillary Clinton Convenes With BLM Activists

Clinton Admits To Promoting Failed Policies In Meeting With #BlackLivesMatter Activists

Here are a couple of photos from our conversation with @HillaryClinton #HollupHillary pic.twitter.com/W4NLYz0Lnr

— BlackLivesMatterBOS (@BLM_Boston) August 12, 2015

Hillary Clinton had a private meeting with a small group of #BlackLivesMatter activists after a campaign event she held in Keene, NH on Tuesday. Clinton spoke with the activists after they were barred access from the event and were shuttled to an overflow room. Media was not present for the intimate gathering.

Daunasia Yancey, the founder of the group says she was challenged to answer questions about her involvement with the war on drugs and how that has channeled violence onto marginalized groups of color. Clinton’s exact quotes haven’t been relayed to the public, but activists present say she gave very “political” answers expressing her responsibility in enacting legislation that hasn’t always worked. Read more at CNN.

Up Next: Clinton Forks Over Private Email Server To The Feds

Clinton Submits Email Server To Justice Department Amid FBI Investigation

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Hillary Clinton has officially instructed her team to hand over her private email server and a thumb drive containing copies of her emails that were kept at her home in Chappaqua, NY. Clinton’s discretion (or lack thereof) in digital communication has raised concerns among Republicans and Democrats. Even though she has denied exchanging confidential government data on her private email account, federal government officials found four emails from her account that contained classified information and wasn’t labeled as such.

Simultaneously, John Kerry, US Secretary of State, is alleging that Russia or China might be tapping into his email correspondence. His statements are feeding into the common, long-held suspicion that there has been a high interest from foreign powers to breach private communication among America’s most important politicians. Read more at the Washington Post.

Up Next: Justice Department Issues Unsubstantial Data On Police Force

Federal Report Reveals Disappointing, Useless Information On Police Force 

Source: Robert Nickelsberg / Getty

The Justice Department began surveying police departments in 2013 to find more information on trends surrounding use of force during arrests. The goals of the resulting report was to garner any consistent, compelling evidence of police brutality in areas distinguished by lower or upper class citizens, racial makeup, crime rates, etc.

However, the report turned out to be inconclusive; police departments had varying accounts when they pulled relevant data and while some failed to document certain items, others refused to disclose such information for the report. The matter is a big issue for the Obama administration because it has no legal authority to require that police departments keep such information, nor do police departments have to make it public record. Read more at the New York Times.

RELATED LINKS:

50 Years Later: The Voting Rights Act Is In Greater Danger Than Ever

CDC Study Finds Women Are More Likely Than Men To Suffer From Mental Health Issues

Hillary Clinton Says What Black People Have Been Saying Since Forever: Too Many Black Men Are In Jail